NORTHERN Ireland's power-sharing assembly remained on the
brink of collapse last night as pressure mounted on a small
cross-community party to bail out the political institution.

The non-sectarian Alliance Party was heading to Stormont for talks
with the nationalist SDLP and Sinn Fein. Northern Ireland Secretary John
Reid had until midnight last night to judge whether it was possible to
elect new first and deputy first ministers.

Assembly rescue deal

NORTHERN Ireland's Alliance Party last night agreed to change
the designation of its assembly members to unionist to solve the
political crisis at Stormont.

After a frantic round of negotiations, party sources said they were
planning to change the affiliation of Alliance Assembly members to help
Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble return to the power-sharing
government.

Mr Trimble and incoming SDLP leader Mark Durkan failed on Friday to
get elected as first and deputy first ministers of the Northern Ireland
Executive in an Assembly vote.

Both men secured the full support of nationalists but fell one vote
short of the Unionist majority Ulster required.

An Alliance sourcesaid: 'We have decided to redesignate as
unionists for a period of a week.'

COPYRIGHT 2001 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.